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“He must be really relishing this phase of his career!” – Lennart Karl opens up on the key to his success with Bayern Munich and the German national team

Sameer Bhatia | June 1, 2026 4:20 PM CST

Following an impressive first start, Lennart Karl unveiled his simple yet effective approach to achieving success.

“I’m just here to play; I don’t really care,” said the young sensation after Germany’s 4-0 (1-0) victory over Finland in their penultimate World Cup warm-up match. The energetic winger added on ZDF, “I’m going full throttle — and then a bit of skill comes into play.”

Facing the Finnish side, Karl delivered a swift corner that allowed Deniz Undav to net the opener in the 34th minute, before setting up another goal for the Stuttgart forward in the 57th. “He’s a versatile player who can perform in multiple roles and will be extremely valuable for us,” Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann commented.

In Sunday’s game in Mainz, the 18-year-old began on the right flank, forming a sharp attacking trio with Bayern Munich teammate Jamal Musiala and Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz. “At that age, you play with freedom. He should enjoy this time, go out there and have fun,” said team captain Joshua Kimmich. “He must trust himself, take on the ball, take chances, and go for goal.”

Karl, who has now made two senior appearances coming off the bench, revealed that he felt “goosebumps during the warm-up.” He added, “Hearing the national anthem and providing my assist were really special moments for me. I’m delighted and grateful for the confidence the coaching team has shown in me.”